Bird Strike

What Is a Bird Strike?

A bird strike (officially termed a wildlife strike) is a collision between an aircraft and a bird or flock of birds at any phase of flight. Bird strikes are among the most common hazards in civil aviation — the FAA's Wildlife Strike Database records over 17,000 strikes annually in the United States alone, though many incidents go unreported. The risk is highest during takeoff, initial climb, approach, and landing, when aircraft are operating at lower altitudes where birds concentrate.

The physics of bird strikes are extreme. A 1.8 kg bird struck at 300 knots (555 km/h) generates an impact force equivalent to several tonnes, sufficient to shatter windscreens, dent leading edges, or destroy a turbofan engine's fan blades. Large birds such as Canada geese, vultures, and pelicans pose the greatest danger, while strikes involving flocking species like starlings or European starlings can deliver multiple simultaneous impacts.

Why It Matters

Bird strikes cost the aviation industry over $1.2 billion annually in the United States alone, including aircraft repairs, flight delays, and operational disruptions. More critically, they pose direct safety risks:

• Engine ingestion: Birds ingested into turbofan engines can damage fan blades, compressor stages, or combustion chambers, causing power loss or engine failure.
• Windscreen impact: Large birds can shatter multi-layer aviation windscreens and injure or incapacitate pilots.
• Control surface damage: Leading edge impacts on wings or tail surfaces can compromise structural integrity and control authority.
• Multi-engine strikes: Flocking birds can cause simultaneous dual-engine failures — the most dangerous scenario for any aircraft.

Regulatory Framework

The FAA certifies aircraft and engines to bird ingestion standards under FAR Part 33.76 (engine) and Part 25.631 (airframe). Engines must demonstrate they can ingest a specified bird mass (up to 1.8 kg for large engines) without causing hazardous failure or fire. Airports are required under FAA Advisory Circular 150/5200-36 to maintain Wildlife Hazard Management Plans, using habitat modification, active dispersal (pyrotechnics, trained raptors, lasers), and coordination with U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services for lethal control when necessary.

Notable Cases

US Airways Flight 1549 (January 15, 2009) became the most famous bird strike event in aviation history. Shortly after takeoff from New York's LaGuardia Airport, the Airbus A320 struck a flock of Canada geese, causing dual engine failure. Captain Chesley Sullenberger and First Officer Jeffrey Skiles successfully ditched the aircraft in the Hudson River, saving all 155 people aboard. The event — dubbed the "Miracle on the Hudson" — accelerated FAA research into large-bird strike certification standards and led to increased testing requirements for engine certification.